Survivor 27, Episode #3 – Drama, Action, Blindside!

Hey There, Readers!

This episode of Survivor had three basic components: drama, action and blindsides.  Well, I guess this can be said about every episode of almost any reality series, but this episode of Survivor really had all three elements.  There was a blindside that even Jeff Probst didn’t see coming until it happened!  How does all of this happen, you ask?  Well, read on, Readers, and you’ll see!

The episode began at Galang, where the Returning Players were sitting around enjoying each others’ life stories without a care in the world…everyone except for Colton.  He really couldn’t take how laid back the rest of the tribe was at this point in the game.  He wanted to strategize about what was happening at Tadhana, who to sit out at the next challenge, and he also wanted some drama to happen on his tribe.  No one else on Galang wanted to deal with Colton’s “worries,” and Tyler told him to relax.  Colton was going crazy with the amount of people telling him to relax.  This was not the game Colton signed up to play, or the tribe he wanted to play the game with.  Colton, no one gets to set the type of tribe you get to be on!  An important part of this game is to go with the flow and adjust your game to how the game is going, not force people to play your way.  Soon, you’ll get your wish when/if Galang fimally losses an Immunity Challenge.

Both tribes were instructed to go to Redemption Island to watch the end of another player’s game after losing a hard fought challenge. Tyson was really upset to not see Rachel with Tadhana. He said he thought Tadhana voted Rachel out to try and get rid of him. Rachel agreed with Tyson’s line of thinking.  Jeff Probst asked Tyson whether he would like to take Rachel’s place and have her join Galang in his place. Tyson asked Rachel whether he should take her place. Rachel said he would have a better chance at winning the game if he stayed with Galang than to take her place. Tyson took her advice, and let Rachel stay. Tyson then issued a warning to Tadhana, saying that if Tyson ever ended up at Redemption Island that they’d better watch out for him, as he’d be taking everyone out and returning to the game.

Marissa then chimed in, saying that Tadhana was voting out its strong players in order to keep its tribe weak. She was directing her comment at Brad, and everyone knew it. Brad, feeling the heat of the situation and the target growing larger on his back, told Marissa that this was the game of Survivor, Babe!  Marissa told Brad what to do with himself (If you didn’t know, I try to keep my posts as clean as possible, just in case younger eyes are reading.).  Gervase told Marissa to keep focused on the up-coming task.

This is where the first blindside of the show happened.  Colton began crying.  Jeff Probst asked Colton what was with the water works, and Colton responded that he no longer wanted to be a part of the game anymore.  After a commercial break, Jeff Probst asked Colton if he was quitting the game, to which Colton responded, “Yes.”  Jeff Probst, taken aback, said Colton was doing the opposite of what he told the producers he wanted to prove in the game.  Colton explained that he didn’t want to play the game with the tribe he was on, so he wanted to quit.  Jeff Probst told Colton he was being selfish.  Colton replied that this decision may be selfish, but it may be the best move for him to make to make himself happy.  Tina then told everyone about how Colton shot himself in the foot by be over aggressive, and was worried he’s lost everyone’s trust in Galang, along with no one wanting to be catty like Colton was, so he no longer wanted to be a part of the game.  Colton slightly agreed with what Tia said.

Jeff Probst then used Colton as an example of the type of person who thinks they want to play Survivor that should actually just stay on their couch at home because they’re not able to adapt to changes or different personalities within the game.  Colton said he didn’t care about the insult Jeff Probst threw at him, and went over to Tadhana to say goodbye to his partner, Caleb.  Jeff Probst then told Colton not to throw his buff in the urn because it was reserved for players that wanted to play the game, had competed and lost, not for quitters, and to leave the game.  Well, Readers, I’m glad Colton left.  All he did was whine about not getting his way, then whined when he knew he screwed up instead of trying to fix what he broke!  I hope you are happier, Colton!

At the Redemption Island Challenge, the players had to stack bricks along a pathway that angled up and down while it lay on a huge spring and having trip bars along the bottom of it so players couldn’t race up and down the course.  The first 2 players to have all of their bricks fall down, ad have a ball at the end of the platform break a plate at the end of the platform would get to stay in the game, while the last person would see their game come to an end.  The person who finished the challenge first would also get to choose a person from any of the tribes to receive a clue as to where the hidden Immunity Idol was on their island.  Just as before, Candice finished the challenge first, leaving Marissa and Rachel to battle it out for their Survivor lives.  After some mistakes, Marissa pulled out a win over Rachel, sending Rachel to say goodbye to her boyfriend, Tyson, and watch her buff, as well as her chance at 1 million dollars, go up in smoke.  Candice then gave her husband, John a second clue to the whereabouts of the hidden Immunity Idol.

Back at Galang, Tyson was sad about Rachel having to leave the game, and was being consoled by the others on his tribe.  He vowed that he had to try and win the game to make up for not taking Rachel’s place, potentially keeping her in the game longer.  Tyson also confessed that he felt weird not being around Monica, as it was her husband, Brad, who had sent Rachel packing.  At the same time, he could not blame her because it was not her actually telling Brad to make the decisions he’s been making.  He also felt that it was a good move Brad because, if Tyson was in Brad’s shoes, he would have done the same thing.

At Tadhana, Brad was confessing that it  sucked being called out for the moves he made.  He didn’t like Redemption Island because the people you vote out of your tribe have the chance to let you know how your decisions made them feel, and they have a chance to get back into the game to exact their revenge on you.  He felt that he was taking some of the heat off of himself by making the others think voting certain people off was a group decision, not solely his.  Uh, Brad, most of the Castaways actually see you as the proverbial head of the snake.   They do see you as the decision-maker, not the rest of the tribe.

John felt as though he had an even bigger target on is back because Candice chose him to have another clue to the Immunity Idol.   He felt that the smartest thing to do was to let Brad in on its location, and he liked Brad enough that he didn’t mind Brad knowing about where it was.  John asked Brad not to let anyone else know where the Immunity Idol was.  Brad agreed with John, but he was also testing John’s loyalty because of his past actions (originally not sharing the clue with him, and his ties to Rachel).

At the Reward/Immunity Challenge, it was a sumo wrestling-like battle where one member from each tribe had to try and push a member from the opposing tribe off of a floating platform over the water.  For each win, the player’s tribe got  a point.  First tribe to 5 points won Immunity from Tribal Council, and the choice between a Luxury prize (pillows, blankets, a tarp, mosquito netting), or they could trade it for a fishing kit like the one Galang won at the last Immunity Challenge.

During one of the showdowns, Tyson popped his arm out of its shoulder socket, and could no longer take part in the challenge.  He didn’t want to leave the game, though.  In the end, Galang came away with a 5-3 with over Tadhana, winning Immunity, and taking the Luxury prize with them.

Back at Tadhana, they went about their regular consoling ritual, losing their 3rd Immunity Challenge in a row.   The guys got together to talk about who should leave the tribe this time, and they spoke about how Katie lost to her mother who was well into her 60s.  Then they went over what the last two women on their tribe bring to the table.  Katie cooks all of their meals, while Ciera doesn’t do much of anything.  After to the conclusion that Ciera was leaving, John went to go look for the Idol.  Once out of ear shot, Brad got the rest of the guys together to talk about Jon becoming a bigger threat to their game, and getting rid of him.  These were Brad’s arguments as to why John needed to leave sooner than later:

• John was a strong player
• John would be controlled by Candice should she return to the game and the tribes got to the Merge, not by them (by them, Brad really meant himself).

Vytas didn’t really trust Brad’s reasons as to why they should get rid of John.  He felt Brad was acting a bit shady, and that Brad was making everyone do their dirty work for him.  Vytas voiced his concerns to the ladies of the tribe, who seemed receptive to what Vytas was saying.  Hayden was torn as to what he wanted to do, but was sure that someone would be leaving by way of a blindside at Tribal Council.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst and Tadhana brought up the following topics:

• Why the men were the only ones who scored at the Immunity Challenge – Katie said it sucked she was not able to beat her mom at two different Immunity Challenges (not sure if she was smart to have voiced her concern at that moment).
• What Trust meant in this game – Vytas said trust was the currency of the game.  The more you ca trust someone, the further you could go in the game.
• John having 2 clues to the Immunity Idol – Candice’s comment about how John knew “what to do with the information” really wasn’t helping John’s chances at staying.  Hayden said they had to trust that John was telling them the truth about not having the Idol.  Brad chimed in, saying that at some point, you have to lie in the game, so how could they trust John now?

After Jeff Probst asked Tadhana to write down who they wanted to vote out, he went to count the votes.  This was how it all played out:

Ciera – 1; John – 4 (we didn’t get to see the rest of the votes, as all a person needed was 4 votes to leave).

John didn’t see this happening to him, and he felt betrayed as he meet up with Candice and Marissa on Redemption Island.

Oh, Readers!  I think Tadhana made a HUGE mistake, again!  Or maybe this was Brad’s plan to weaken his tribe.  This move, in the end, I think, will only hurt his game. He’s losing any trust with Tadhana, since they can’t trust him when they say they’re safe.  Galang, besides his wife, are beginning to hate him because their loved ones are leaving the game at his hand.  I think he is putting a huge target o his and his wife, Monica’s back for making these decisions.  If, for some reason, Galang was to lose an Immunity Challenge, she might be the first player they vote out to get back at Brad.  Will Tadhana finally win their first Immunity Challenge?  Will Tadhana blindside Brad?  Who will be the next player at Redemption Island to leave the game?  We’ll find out in the next episode of Survivor: Blood vs Water!

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor 27, Episode #2 – Voting Someone Off Has Become More Complicated

Hey There, Readers!

With Marissa voted off Tadhana to join Rupert and Candice on Redemption Island, the stage is set for the first battle to keep your game alive in this season’s Survivor.  As well, the game has really begun on both tribes as they have to begin to strategize who needs to leave their tribes next.  How will everything shake out? Read on to find out!

At Redemption Island, Marissa spoke to Rupert and Candice about how upset she was about being voted out because of Gervase’s outburst after the Immunity Challenge.  Candice said that Marissa was to Redemption Island because she said she didn’t like Brad when all of the Castaways were together before they were split into tribes.  Marissa thought about it, and agreed with her.  Rupert then welcomed Marissa to Redemption Island by telling her it was a place with a lot of pissed off people!

At Galang, the tribe was acting as a cohesive unit, engaging itself in a group massage.  Everyone, that is, except for Colton.  He wasn’t “feeling the love” like everyone else on the tribe.  He was cursing it!  Others on the tribe were sensing that Colton was not as zen as they were, so Monica and Aras went over to talk to him and see if they could help him.  Colton went off on them.  Monica asked him to be patient.  All Colton could whine about was how much he missed Caleb, and how disappointed he was about not being able to play the game with him.  Aras said Colton should think about looking ahead in the game, not thinking about his disappointment.  Colton wished they were at Tribal Council, so they could vote him off right now.  Privately, Colton confessed that his tribe was stupid to think that the good times were going to continue for the rest of the game, and he wanted to get his point across to the rest of his tribe.

At Tadhana, Brad was flexing his leadership skills by showing the guys on his tribe how to fish.  Rachel, seeing where the power laid in the tribe, decided not to align herself with the other two ladies left in Tadhana, and decided to make bonds with the guys.  She was lucky enough to have made an alliance with John.  Don’t think there aren’t eyes everywhere within this tribe, Readers, because this alliance didn’t go unnoticed!  Ciera saw Rachel becoming buddy-buddy with the men on the tribe, and has suspected that Rachel has started an alliance with John.  Ciera wasted no time in sounding the alarm bells, telling anyone she could about what she thought she knew.

Both tribes received Tree Mail telling them it was time for the first battle to take place on Redemption Island.  After both tribes took their seats, the camera panned over to Gervase, who discovered that his niece was not with Tadhana.  He then realized she was going to be the third competitor to fight for their Survivor life in a few moments.  Jeff Probst then introduced Rupert, Candice, and Marissa.  Jeff Probst asked Marissa why she gave her tribe such a long, hard stare.  She said it was because she was voted off for something she didn’t do.  Then she looked at her uncle, Gervase, and said that she was there becasue of him.  Gervase swore he would get revenge upon those who sent her there (I guess the whole Tadhana tribe.)

For this competition, the players had to use a poll to pick up 10 spools and weave it up through a metal maze, one by one, then pile them up o each other on a platform with a wobbly sprig base.  The first two people to have their tower of spools held up for three seconds, would save their Survivor lives.  The last would be permanently out of the game.  If someone’s pile falls over, they have to start from the beginning.  The person who comes in first would be given the chance to give whoever they wanted from any tribe a clue as to where the hidden Immunity Idol was on their island.

It was a windy day out there in the Philippines, so Candice and Marissa were taking it slowly, while Rupert was actually throwing caution to the wind, trying to burn through the challenge.  This made his tower topple over, making him have to start again.  Candice took advantage of Rupert’s mistake, by cautiously finishing the challenge first.  Marissa, also taking her time not to crash, finished second, meaning it was Rupert’s game ending at this challenge.  Readers, it was a sad one to watch, but someone had to go.  It just sucks it had to be Rupert.  He said he had no regrets about leaving because it meant that Laura B could stay longer, that he loved his wife, and that he was still a lover of this game.  Rupert then placed his buff on a pile of burning coals, letting the Castaways, and us viewers, watch Rupert’s game go up in smoke.

Jeff Probst also reminded the Castaways of the twist where a loved one would be able to take the place of their voted off partner and take their place on Redemption Island.

Back at Tadhana, the guys were taking what Jeff Probst said to heart, and started thinking about who they would vote out next so their partner on Galang would take their place and potentially leave the game to weaken Galang.  It didn’t take them long to come up with Rachel’s name.  The guys wanted Tyson, Rachel’s boyfriend, to take her place on Redemption Island, and then lose and have to leave the game.  They know he was a formidable player, and wouldn’t want his girlfriend to go out to Redemption Island if he could save her.  John wasn’t too happy about this because of the side alliance he had with her.  He knew he must quickly find the Immunity Idol, and that he couldn’t share if he found it with anyone in order to keep Rachel safe.

At Galang, the tribe was consoling Laura B on Rupert being the game’s first casualty.  She confessed she was sad, but with Rupert gone, she could now easily concentrate on playing the game.

Colton began his zen-crushing mission by lying about who’s saying what about who.  Colton wanted everyone to depend on his word, and to rule in chaos.  Tyson, saw what Colton was doing, then confessed that he felt Colton was over-thinking the situation he and the tribe were in, and that it could get him voted off the tribe.  Colton confessed he wanted the tribe to actually lose at Tribal Council so the tribe would wake up and start playing the game.

The next morning, Colton noticed that the rest of the tribe was acting a bit sketchy toward him.  When Colton was out of ear-shot, Tyson told Aras, Gervase, Tina and Monica about how he thought Colton was trying to turn the tribe against each other, and to counter it by talking to each other to get the real story.  Aras agreed with Tyson, calling Colton a bully for acting this way, and saying he didn’t want to play with a person who acted this way.  The five of them decided that they should create an alliance as they have had the most Survivor experience out of the people on their tribe, and to stop Colton from ruining their tribe.

At the Immunity/Reward Challenge, 3 members from each tribe would be rolling a barrel, while a 4th was inside being rolled about from three stations, untying complex knots and collecting bags of balls. Then the rest of the tribe would take turns, if they wished, at rolling the 6 balls up a skee ball-like platform, getting the balls to stay in the holes.  The first tribe to finish this game would win Immunity, and the reward of a fishing kit.  The loosing team would go to Tribal Council, where one person would be voted out of the game.  It was a close competition, but it came down to Gervase and Hayden rolling the balls into the holes to win the game.  Gervase won the game for Galang as his last ball just found its home in the last available hole.  He was happy about beating Tadhana for a few reasons:

• Galang wouldn’t have to go to Tribal Council;
• Gervase received a bit of satisfaction for Marissa being voted off of Tadhana; and
• Gervase winning the game for Galang vindicated his poor performance from the last Immunity Challenge he competed in.

When Tadhana returned to their tribe, they began their consoling ritual again.  Te guys then went off a bit into the jungle to decide which of the ladies was going to be voted off next.  4 of them wanted Rachel to go, but John was still fighting strong to keep her.  This began to sound the alarm bells for the rest of the guy alliance, as they didn’t understand why John would be so keen to keep er unless the 2 of them were had an alliance.  This fact, along with him going off to find the Immunity Idol alone, was beginning to make John a potential candidate to be voted off.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst and Tadhana spoke about the following topics:

• The man vs woman ratio on the tribe – The women notice it, and how the me go off to talk without them.  Hayden said that, yes, the guys have bonded, but it didn’t necessarily mean anything.  Jeff Probst didn’t believe that, and let his feelings about Hayden’s statement be known.
• John and the Immunity Idol clue – Caleb believed John may have the Immunity Idol, but was not saying anything to anyone.
• The Redemption Island twist – Hayden said they could get rid of certain players, just to get their loved ones to use the twist, then hoping it would backfire like it did for Rupert.  Rachel didn’t like hearing that!

Jeff Probst then asked the Castaways to cast their votes.  After counting them, this was how the vote went down: Rachel – 7; John – 2; and Ciera – 1.  Yep, Rachel was voted off of Tadhana!

Well, Readers, it was another strategy-filled episode of Survivor!  Once again, the wrong person has bee voted out of the tribe to now have to compete at Redemption Island.  I just shook my head again and again over the horrible decision-making Tadhana keeps making.  Rachel must now know how Marissa felt as she was leaving her tribe for no reason other than for Tadhana to make a strategic hit at Galang.  Will the plan cooked up by the guys of Tadhana work?  Will Rachel allow Tyson to take her place?  Who will be the next to leave Redemption Island and the game for good?  These answers will be answered in the next episode of Survivor: Blood vs Water!  Check out my blog to see what happens next!

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan, Season Finale – What a Finale!

Hello Readers!

It’s Finale Night! Yes, Survivor: Caramoan is wrapping up this season, and it does not disappoint. With five Castaways left, it’s anyone’s game to win. Since.it was the Finale episode, it was a two-hour show, then the Reunion Show where they announced the winner. Who has gained the respect of The Jury to be chosen as this season’s Sole Survivor? Read on and you’ll see!

After the last Tribal Council, Erik was not feeling well. He stopped walking, telling everyone his head was spinning and having fainting spells. Jeff Probst called the medic, and he diagnosed that he was very dehydrated and under nourished. The medic then decided to pull Erik from the game. Erik was upset about the decision, but also accepted it because he was not well. The rest of the tribe wished him well as he left the game in an ambulance.

Back at Enil Edam, while still reeling about Erik’s departure, Cochran was thinking about the Final 3 and who he should bring with him. He sealed a deal with Eddie by way of a hand shake, saying it would be the two of them and Sherri, leaving Dawn by the wayside. Eddie thinks that this combination will allow him to win the game.

Tree Mail arrived, telling them that they were going to have their final Reward Challenge. Once they reach where the Challenge was going to held, Jeff Probst explained what they had to do. Each Castaway had to build a house of thick wooden cards on a platform they were balancing with a rope on a pulley system with their other hand. The first to get their structure to a marked height without any wobbles would win. The Reward: an advantage in the Final Immunity Challenge which could help them win it and take them to the Final 3. After a few crashes, Cochran stacked his way to another Challenge win! So happy, Cochran! He was truly the threat everyone wanted to tale out because he has become so dominant at Challenges.

Back at camp, the scrambling for Final 3 had begun. Sherri and Eddie wanted to be with Cochran at he end because they were worried about Dawn using her home life as guilt and play the “sympathy card” to win over The Jury.

Cochran was having to hold Dawn’s hand to reassure her about their pact in the game. He was getting tired of her constant freak-outs, and was considering ditching her. Tree Mail then arrived telling them that they were going to go on the annual Rights of Passage Walk of Remembrance. The Castaways went along a path to pick up the names of players who had been voted out of the tribe, and then burn them in a ceremonial bonfire.

At the Final Immunity Challenge, the Castaways had to run up a three-story tower to untie and collect three bags to make a fire puzzle. First person to put the puzzle together wins Immunity. Cochran’s advantage was that he didn’t have to untie the puzzle bags from the tower. After squandering his huge lead, Cochran stepped on the gas and put the puzzle together to grab the final Immunity of the game.

Back at Enil Edam, Cochran was talking as though he had won the game. He was trying to decide who he was going to bring with him to the Final 3. He knew he was going to bring Sherri with him, but he was conflicted between Dawn and Eddie.

After Dawn became emotional with Cochran, Eddie plead his case to Cochran as to why they should ditch Dawn. Eddie said Dawn would use The Jury’s sympathies to gain their votes, while Eddie’s strategies didn’t really help his game, and he didn’t do much to affect the game. Cochran still didn’t know what to do.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst introduced The Jury (Michael, Phillip, Malcolm, Reynold, Andrea, Brenda and Erik). He and the Castaways then spoke about Erik leaving the game. Eddie said that Erik’s departure opened the door for him, and he also spoke of his plans for the end of the game that didn’t include Cochran. Eddie and Dawn both gave their reasons as to why Cochran should take them to the Final 3. Dawn said that everyone on The Jury loved Eddie, so the smart move would be to choose her. Eddie said he didn’t make many waves in the game as Dawn had, and that she would be harder to beat than he would, so Cochran should take him. Sherri basically said you’d better take me, or else!

At the Vote, it was 3-1 for Eddie to leave the game.

The next day, the Final 3 were talking about the final Tribal Council and about the celebratory breakfast left for them. Sherri said she was still there because she controlled the alliance she was a part of. It was actually the other way around. They controlled the way Sherri voted. Dawn said she was able to make her own decisions this time around, and she was happy to be at the end with Cochran. Cochran said he was becoming worried about his chances of winning the game. It was due to his lack of confidence he had in himself at that moment. He knew he had to pull himself together in order to clinch the victory.

At the Final Tribal Council, Jeff introduced The Jury (now with Eddie as its final member). Then the Final 3 plead their cases as to why they should win the game. Dawn said she was an emotional player, yet knew she had to play the game hard in order to get to the Finals. She had also played a good game and had made her own decisions this time around. Sherri said that she fought hard throughout the game, and she was able to be a part of various alliances in order to have made it this far. Cochran said that he has had a passion for this game for a very long time. He also confessed he was.socially awkward, yet he helped to calm others down when they needed it. Finally, Cochran told The Jury he knew he couldn’t out-strategize other players, but he was able to get.to this point in the game, so they should pick him.

The Jury got their chance to let off some steam by attacking, I mean commenting on how the Final 3 played the game. One of my fav comments came from Phillip when he kicked Sherri out of Stealth-R-Us!

Jeff Probst then turned to The Jury, asking them to cast their votes to choose a winner for the season. After the Vote was over, the show cut to the CBS studios in L.A. in order to announce the winner. Readers, it wasn’t even close. All of the votes were cast for…….Cochran! Hooray! I was so proud of him. He has come a long way from his first appearance on Survivor. Near the end of the Reunion Show, it was announced that Malcolm was voted by the fans as the Sprint Player of the Season! Lucky boy, he won $100 000!

Well, Readers, this brings to a close another season of Survivor. It’s kind of sad, but it makes way for the next season. Jeff Probst gave clues as to the twist for next season. I think it will have family members playing against strangers. I’ll be tuning in! I hope you’ll be returning to my blog, not only for my Survivor posts, but for my other posts as well. Next reality show posts will be for Big Brother which will begin on June 26th!

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese!

Survivor: Caramoan, Episode # 13 – No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Hey Readers!

This episode was the second-to-last one for this season! Many tears were shed by the Castaways, and even by Jeff Probst himself!  Why were so many tears shed? It was the annual visit by a loved one episode! Ah, yes, now you can sort of see where I got the idea for this episode’s title, huh.  One Castaway learned the meaning of this saying the hard way, by being voted out.  Who was it?  Continue reading and find out!

After the previous episode’s Tribal Council. Cochran was worried about where he stood with the other players still left in the game.  He confided to the producers that he thought he was the next one to go because he was such a threat to the other competitors.

Strangely enough, Brenda and Dawn were talking about the same thing.  Brenda’s plans were worrying Dawn, as she and Cochran were working together.  She wanted to find a way to change her mind.  Erik confessed that he felt as though he was in the most beautiful prison, as he was longing to be off the island and back at home.  Tree Mail to the rescue!  It consisted of a Sprint smartphone which had recorded messages from their loved ones back home.  Yep, you guessed it! The next Reward Challenge was to win the privilege to spend time with a loved one!

At the Reward Challenge, Jeff Probst introduced the Castaways to their loved ones, then announced that they would be working together to win this Challenge.  Each pair had to unscrew the ropes with coconuts attached at their ends and rails for a ladder.  They then had to place the rails onto the posts and toss the ropes so they would hang onto the rails. First pair that did this three times would win a lunch on a floating barge off the coast of their island with their loved one.

Brenda and her father won the Challenge, and Jeff Probst allowed for Brenda to bring another Castaway and their loved one to share the Reward.  Feeling pity for Dawn, Brenda picked her and her husband.  Jeff Probst then threw a monkey wrench into the situation.  He gave another Sprint smartphone that had another recorded message from her sister and a second  group of loved ones.  Jeff told her that, if she wanted to, she and Dawn could enjoy their time with their loved ones, or allow for the other four Castaways to be with their loved ones, while her and Dawn would go away with nothing.  Brenda decided to be nice and allow for the others to have their time with their loved ones, punishing Dawn in the process.

While the other Castaways partied it up on the barge with their loved ones, Brenda and Dawn watched from their beach.  When the Castaways returned from their Reward, they all thanked Brenda for her selfless act of kindness.  Cochran was on the defensive about what Brenda did.  He thought of this as a million-dollar move on Brenda’s part, making her an even bigger threat that needed to be dealt with.

At the Immunity Challenge, each competitor had to stand on a ledge on a platform.  They had to hold onto a handle that was attached to a piece of rope that Jeff Probst would let out more of their line, making it harder to hold on to.  The last person standing would win Immunity at the next Tribal Council.  This was the order in which they bowed out of this Challenge: Cochran, Eddie, Erik, and Sherri.  Brenda and Dawn were left to battle it out.  Brenda refused to make a deal with Dawn, then fell in the water, making Dawn the winner!  After the Challenge, Brenda confessed that she let Dawn win, and had to make it look as though she wasn’t going to just let Dawn have it.

Back at Enil Edam, Brenda was happy that Eddie was going home.  Cochran was beginning to scheme against Brenda, confessing that Brenda was a threat because of giving up her Reward, and how good she was at Challenges.  Cochran then went to Sherri to share his thoughts, promising her that she would be guaranteed fourth place if she went along with is plan.  He also told Dawn about what he wanted to do.  Dawn was worried about this plan because it left the door open for Eddie to win the game, and she liked Brenda because she had been so nice to her.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst introduced the Jury (Michael, Phillip, Malcolm, Reynold and Andrea).  He and the Castaways then spoke about Dawn winning the Immunity Challenge, and how Eddie needed to win to stay in the game.  They also spoke about Brenda and the Reward Challenge. Once everyone wrote down their names for who they wanted out of the tribe, Jeff Probst reveled the results of Vote. It went like this: 1-Erik; 2-Eddie; and 3-Brenda!

Another blindside was successfully carried out. I guess that is what happens when you try to be nice to others in this game.  They vote you out!  I believe this would be the third one since the Jury had been formed.  Brenda looked so shocked and hurt, especially after what she did for them at the Reward Challenge.  Dawn had better watch out if she makes it to the Final Three.  With Brenda gone and no longer in her corner, if Dawn does make it to Final Three, I’m not sure if Brenda will give Dawn her vote to win the game.  Well, Readers, this is shaping up to be an interesting season finale on Sunday night.  Who’s going to make it to the Final Three? Who will win the million-dollar prize and be named this season’s Survivor champ?  My fingers are crossed for Cochran to make it to the Final Three.  He’s the only interesting Castawayleft.

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan, Episode #11 – Oh, No! Not You, Too!

Hello Readers!

Survivor: Caramoan did it again! Another great episode aired, keeping viewers, like myself, glued to the screen until the Castaway voted out had their torch snuffed out. Yes, another Survivor giant has left the game. Who was it? Check it out my post and you’ll find out!

Stealth-R-Us was still reeling from Phillip’s impromptu departure. On the other hand, The Outsiders (or as they are called on the show, The Three Amigos – Malcolm, Reynold and Eddie) were elated that their plan worked so well. They couldn’t stand Phillip being at camp, and it may also help them get further in the game with the head of Stealth-R-Us no longer trying to call the shots. Erik was also assessing his position in the game. He felt that he would be able to get further in the game if he became a swing vote instead of being loyal to Stealth-R-Us.

The next day, Brenda was crying. Her tribe mates rushed to her side to see what was wrong. She told them it was the reality that Stealth-R-Us was no longer in control, and the fear of not knowing who was in the driver’s seat upset her. I wish Brenda would get control of herself, and keep her eyes on the prize, not cry over things that may not happen.

The Castaways were happy when then received their Tree Mail. It had colourful envelops for each of them. Yes, Readers, it was Survivor: Caramoan’s day for their annual Auction as their Reward Challenge!

At the Challenge, Jeff Probst told the competitors that each of them had $500, and that the bidding would go up in $20 increments for each prize. As well, no one was allowed to give another person their money or share their prize (unless Jeff Probst stated otherwise). This was how everything went down:

Malcolm spent $20 on a blind item which turned out to be two ice cold beers.

Reynold spent $80 another blind item. Jeff Probst then gave him the opportunity to trade it for two other blind items. He stuck with his original item which turned out to be a slice of pizza. He turned down a coconut and the remainder of the pizza. Sherri scooped that up with her $500.

Dawn bought a whole cooked chicken with her $500.

Information in the game was the next prize to bid on. Malcolm spent the rest of his money ($480) to win this prize. It turned out to be directions to find the hidden Immunity Idol. He had 60 seconds to memorize the directions, and he took in all of the details he could.

Andrea won a spaghetti and meatball dinner, along with garlic bread and a glass of red wine for $280. Jeff Probst then gave her the choice to either keep this delicious dish, or to give the tribe a whole sack of rice and beans, something they needed desperately. Andrea decided to help out her Castaways and chose the ride and beans.

Cochran came out of this Auction as the big winner with his prize. He spent $380 on an advantage he could use for the next Immunity Challenge.

Sadly, Brenda may gave been the loser of the Auction by winning a blind item which turned out to be pig’s brain that she had to eat immediately. She was so sad, and admitted she doesn’t eat pig meat outside of the game. Poor girl!

Letters from home was the next prize that Reynold on. He passed them out to the Castaways to read at their leisure at Enil Edam.

The final item of the Survivor Auction was won by Eddie. He won a huge bowl of peanut butter that he was allowed to share with rest of the tribe for 60 seconds. Everyone was covered in the sticky treat as they headed back to camp.

Back at Enil Edam, the tribe got together, still sticky with peanut butter, and shared what their lived ones had to say. Of course, many of them became emotional over these letters, but it also gave them the strength to keep going in the game.

Sherri was trying to change her fortunes in the game. She was thinking about leaving Stealth-R-Us to become an Amiga. Malcolm promised her at least fifth place in the game if she she came aboard. She didn’t sign on the dotted line, and told them she would seriously consider the change.

Reynold thought the next logical target would be Cochran. This was because he was a strategic thinker who was also becoming a threat at Challenges. Reynold thought that with Cochran, along with a few other strategic players, out if the game, that it would be smooth sailing for The Three Amigos for the rest if the game.

Malcolm went in search of the Immunity Idol in the cover of  night. He felt he needed this Idol in order to make it through another Tribal Council. His only trouble came in the form of Andrea and Cochran. They tracked him down in the jungle during his search, and pretty much stopped it cold. He didn’t want to have them find it, nor give away what the clue had told him, so he and Andrea just sat in the darkness until almost sunrise. Malcolm knew he wouldn’t be able to look around with Andrea on his heels, so he gave up searching and went back to camp with Andrea right behind him. I hope Andrea’s actions doesn’t put a target on her back.

At the Immunity Challenge, each Castaway had to hold a rope with several knots on it with one hand. The rope held a weight which represented a third of their body weight before they started the game. Every five minutes, they had to move the same hand down the length of rope until they were holding on to the tip of their rope. The last person to be holding on to their rope would win Immunity from Tribal Council. Jeff Probst gave Cochran his advantage in this Challenge that he paid fir at the Auction. He was able to move his hand two knots back up the rope at any point in the competition.

The first group who dropped out of the Challenge were Brenda, Erik, Sherri, Malcolm, and Andrea. Jeff Probst then gave encouragement to those left in the competition to keep going. Cochran then chose to use his advantage to make it easier for him to win. The next few people to leave the Challenge were Dawn and Reynold. This left Eddie and Cochran. Eddie looked over at Cochran struggling to hold on to the rope, and grimaced. This proved to be his undoing as the rope slipped from his hand, giving Cochran his second Immunity Challenge win.

Back at camp, The Three Amigos were upset that they could no longer target Cochran, so their next plan was o try to get two other people to flip over to their side. They went after Erik and Sherri with the promise that flipping to their side would help them stay in the game longer. Malcolm would take Sherri, while Reynold would work on Erik.

Malcolm made Sherri a promise that he would take her to the end if she flipped, as well as telling her of their voting plan to split the vote to take Andrea out of the game. Reynold told Erik of their plan to vote Andrea out, but Erik didn’t agree with it fully, as he intended to play both sides for the rest of the game.

The Favs were also talking about who they should vote out at this Tribal Council, and Andrea confessed to the group that she was suspicious of Erik, and she wanted him gone since she didn’t trust him.

Sherri secretly confessed that this was now her game since she was a swing vote. I feel that she should actually watch her back, as she is the weakest member of her tribe, and no one would want to take her to the end if the game since she has done nothing to show that she has done anything strategic, social or physical to impress anyone else left in the game who would be on the Jury.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst brought in The Jury with a very disappointed Phillip to observe the next Vote. Jeff and the Castaways first spoke about Phillip leaving the game. The Three Amigos were smug about what happened, and were sure they were in a good position to be successful for the rest of the game. Jeff Probst also touched in the topic of people flipping since it seemed as though Stealth-R-Us was fracturing. Andrea confessed she was nervous about this happening; but she then said she trusted her alliance.

Once the votes were cast, Jeff Probst shared these results: Reynold got 3 votes; Malcolm got 3 votes; and Andrea got 3 votes. Yup, a three-way tie! Jeff Probst had the Castaways do a second vote where they could only vote for Reynold, Malcolm or Andrea. When the second set of results came in, it was clear who was going to be Juror #3…it was Malcolm! The Three Amigos are down to two. He was gracious when he shared his thoughts at the end of the show. He knew it was his fault that he was no longer in the game, and said he had a good time.

Yeah, I know, another heavy-weight is out! No Phillip, no Malcolm. Now I’m crossing my fingers and toes for Cochran to hang in there for the rest of the game. I think he has the brains to do it, especially with Malcolm out of the way. The only person he has to really has to worry about is Andrea, as she’s good at Challenges, and, hopefully, she’s learned from her last experience in Survivor. Only three more episodes left until the finale on May 12, 2012! I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds!

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan, Episode #10 – Phillip Finally Steps Up and Takes a Bow

Hey, Readers!

This episode of Survivor was one where I shook my head at certain parts due to the ups and downs the Castaways experienced. The situations of certain Castaways changed in an blink of an eye, which also kept effecting how people were going to vote at Tribal Council. Whose star ultimately rose, and whose luck went down the toilet, along with their chance at $1 000 000? Read on and you’ll see.

After Tribal Council, Malcolm, Reynold and Eddie were blindsided by Michael’s exit from the game. Malcolm thought he was the target, but since he was wrong about Stealth-R-Us’ plans, he knew he had to find a way to get on top of the totem pole of Enil Edam sooner than later.

The next morning, Phillip and Cochran were talking about how strong of a player Dawn this time around when a crazed scream could be heard throughout the camp. The scream came from none other than Dawn on a dock by their tribe, becoming hysterical with every moment that past by. Brenda asked what happened to Dawn, and Dawn told her that she had lost her retainer in the water while swimming. Brenda used the fishing gear to fish out Dawn’s retainer for her. Dawn did an 180, going from hysterical to gleeful, grateful to Brenda for her help. Brenda felt sorry for Dawn, confessing that, from this point on, she would try to have Dawn’s back for the remainder of the game.

At the Reward Challenge, the Castaways were split into two teams of five. Each member had to race through an obstacle course, slide into a mud pit to find a bag of balls, then go through a pit of rice. Once this was done by everyone on the team, they had to untie the bags of balls, and then toss them into a basket above their heads. The Reward: a trip to a resort with a smorgasbord of a lunch for them to enjoy for the afternoon. Below are the members of each team:

Purple                  Orange
Phillip                  Malcolm
Erik                       Andrea
Reynold              Sherri
Dawn                    Brenda
Cochran              Eddie

This competition wasn’t even close, mostly due to Sherri’s lack of confidence on the balance beam portion if the obstacle course. Her actions allowed for Team Purple to open up an enormous lead and win the Challenge before Team Orange could finish untying their bags.

While on the Reward, Reynold became even more annoyed by Phillip and his sense of entitlement as Phillip went into the pool at the resort without washing himself off from their Challenge first. Phillip didn’t care about what other people thought, and this bothered Reynold, hoping Phillip would leave the game soon.

When everyone was back at Enil Edam, Dawn was becoming very paranoid about her safety within the tribe. She confided in Phillip and Cochran that she thought Andrea was going to turn on them to go with Malcolm and the Outsiders (Reyonld and Eddie), make her a target, and get her voted out of the tribe. Phillip reassured her, telling her that Andrea wouldn’t do that, and that Dawn was safe. She went on like this for the rest of the day, annoying everyone.

The next morning a new Dawn grace the Enil Edam tribe. Well-rested and more focused, Dawn was back to herself. Stealth-R-Us had a meeting to discuss who would be the next to go out of the Outsiders. Phillip proclaimed that they would split their votes between Malcolm and Reynold, so if an Immunity Idol was used by Malcolm, then their target, Reynold, would be leaving. They also had to make sure one of the seven of them would win the next Immunity Challenge to make sure their plan was successful.

At the Immunity Challenge, each Castaway had to accomplish a series of the following: run along a platform with a ring, put it on a post, jump into the water, pull themselves along the bottom of the platform with a rope, then repeat the run again in order to win Immunity. The Castaways were put into two heats for the first round. Heat #1 had Reynold, Cochran, Dawn, Sherri and Andrea. Heat #2 had Brenda, Malcolm, Eddie and Erik. Phillip made Survivor history by willingly choosing to sit out of the Challenge due to a fear this Challenge made him remember. Reynold and Andrea moved on from Heat#1, while Brenda and Malcolm won Heat #2. In Round 2, the race was between Malcolm and Reynold. Malcolm just couldn’t get his afterburners going, allowing for Reynold to win Immunity.

Back at camp, Stealth-R-Us was worried about the outcome of the Immunity Challenge. They could feel the power shifting away from them, but felt that they could maintain their power if one of them found the Immunity Idol used at the last Tribal Council. Malcolm and his boys had the same idea. Suddenly, it was a scramble to find the Idol all over the jungle. Just as Dawn was asking Malcolm for a hint as to where the Idol could be, Eureka! Malcolm found the Idol hidden within a rock face within the jungle. This took more of the wind out if Stealth-R-Us’ sail, but their fearless leader, Phillip, said they would venture on with their plan to split the Vote, only their new target was Eddie. Poor Eddie was upset, confessing he was probably going to be the next one voted out of the game. I guess only Malcolm knew of the trick he was holding up his sleeve.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst introduced Michael as the first member the Jury, and a silent observer to all of the following Tribal Councils. Jeff Probst and the Castaways then spoke about Malcolm and the Outsiders being the outsiders if the tribe, and about how Eddie was the intended target. Malcolm also let his tribe mates in on the trick he had up his sleeve: his secret Immunity Idol no one knew about. He then gave it to Eddie to keep him safe. Malcolm was forcing Stealth-R-Us (really Phillip) to play a game of chicken. They could all vote Phillip out, or they could call Malcolm and Eddie’s bluff, making them use their Immunity Idols, but it would still ensure that one of the seven of them would be leaving the game. Phillip chose to make Malcolm flinch, telling his operatives to follow through with their plan. He said he didn’t care if he was the one to leave tonight because it would have been due to strategic move, not because everyone wanted him gone.

After Jeff Probst asked if anyone wanted to use their Immunity Idols, Malcolm and Eddie reluctantly gave up their Immunity Idols, giving Phillip some satisfaction. The Vote was 2 for Malcolm, 4 for Eddie and 4 for Phillip to leave the game. Since Eddie and Malcolm were spared because of their Immunity Idols, Phillip was the one chosen to leave the game. I’ll say this about Phillip, he may be a bit eccentric, but he showed a lot of class as he left the Tribal Council area without a word of complaint.

Wow, what an episode! I didn’t see Phillip leaving so early. It was a pretty awesome episode! Now that the power has shifted towards the Outsiders, I wonder how quickly the others will begin to jump ship? Things move quickly in the game of Survivor, and if you are not careful, you can find yourself out of the game. Who knows, maybe the Outsiders will continue to be on the outside by the way this season is going.

If you’ve missed an episode, check out my past Survivor: Caramoan posts to get caught up. You can read my other non-Survivor posts to get a feel for my other interests. Also, check out my Facebook page (you can access it from my blog) for other Reese Speaks tidbits not in my blog, or follow me on Twitter (reesespeaksblog; you can also access it from my blog) to see what I’m up to!

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan, Episode #9 – You Snooze, You Lose!

Hey Readers!

It was another wacky episode of Survivor. This week so many people were jockeying for “Top Dog” status, that trying to keep track of who was with who was quite dizzying. It also showed that those who sat on the sidelines thinking they’re safe, without Immunity, of course, are the most likely to be voted out.

Enil Edam has split into two camps: Stealth R Us vs. the rest of the tribe.  Phillip was celebrating Corinne’s departure, while Reynold and Eddie were trying to figure out how to gain more power in the game. They thought that one way to accomplish this would be to get Andrea on their side.

Phillip shared a special event with Sherri. He inducted her into Stealth R Us as a new “double- agent” and gave her the name Tenacity. Sherri held in her laughter, but accepted Phillip’s wonderful gift. Sherri also thought that if she played along with Phillip, that he would confide in her about decisions, making her a bigger player in the game. I just laughed at this because Sherri just saw how Corinne’s ideas were ignored by Phillip, yet she thinks she has a shot of accomplishing this while being at the bottom of the totem pole. Now I’m not sure who’s more delusional between the two of them (Phillip or Sherri)!

At the Reward Challenge the Castaways were split into two teams of five. One person acted as the defender while the others had to throw balls into the net the defenders were defending. The team that reached four points first won the Reward.  This episode’s prize was a trip to a waterfall that they would have to repel down  beside to reach a picnic lunch set up for them to enjoy.

Here was the breakdown of the teams:

Purple                 Orange
Eddie                   Brenda
Erik                      Andrea
Reynold              Dawn
Cochran              Phillip
Michael (Def.)    Malcolm (Def.)

Sherri was not chosen to be on any team, so she automatically doesn’t get to enjoy the Reward. It was a tight game, but the all-male Purple team won Reward with a score of 4-3.

While the Purple team was enjoying their prize, Michael proposed that the guys should get together and create an alliance. Cochran was unmoved by this suggestion, yet he just smiled and nodded at the idea while he ate his lunch.

Back at Enil Edam, Malcolm was planning to add to his followers by looking at those who were at the bottom within the tribe, these people being Sherri and Dawn. When he spoke to Sherri, he told her that he would take her to Final Six. Sherri wasn’t all that confident in Malcolm’s promises.  Malcolm then turned to Dawn. She wasn’t crazy about Malcolm’s plan, either. Not knowing what else to do, Dawn turned to Andrea and told her what Malcolm was up to. Andrea didn’t like what she was hearing, either.

Malcolm then went to Phillip to spell out his plan to him. Phillip had his own agenda. It was to get rid of Michael as a way to clear any remnants of Corinne being in the game. Malcolm pretended to listen to Phillip’s plan, then walked away.

Andrea and Eddie were getting closer to each other in this episode. Andrea admitted that she liked Eddie, but she also wanted to use him to gain information and and a vote in case she makes it to the Final. Eddie admitted to liking her as well, but was using her to get farther in the game. While they were alone, Andrea asked Eddie if he would go so far as to vote the way she would tell him to vote. Playing along with her, he said he would. It will be interesting to see how far this “showmance” will go with the two of them being on opposite sides of the tribe.

This Immunity Challenge was a simple one: the last Castaway to be holding on to a grate in the water as the tide was coming in would walk away with the Immunity Necklace. Once the water began covering the bottom of their faces, people started dropping like flies out of this competition. This was the order in which they gave up Immunity: Phillip, Sherri, Erik, Dawn, Malcolm, Michael, Eddie, Cochran, Reynold, Andrea, and the winner of Immunity, Brenda! Jeff Probst had to get someone to tell her she had won because she was so calm. It looked as though she fell asleep!

Back at camp, Malcolm started making moves to ensure those he wanted for his uprising would be safe from the Vote at Tribal Council. His target was Andrea, as he thought she was the Machiavelli behind Phillip and Stealth R Us. To cover his tracks, he went to Andrea and Dawn and told them that they should get rid of Reynold. Oh, Malcolm! If you were only more convincing! Andrea knew he was lying about his suggestion, and Dawn didn’t trust him, either. To draw Malcolm out of his lie, Dawn asked to see Reynold’s Immunity Idol. Malcolm agreed as a.sign of good faith. Dawn then went back to Phillip and told him what she had learned. Malcolm then turned to Erik, and told him Dawn was on their side, and that Andrea was their mark.

As Malcolm promised, Reynold showed Dawn his Idol. He also threatened her by saying if he gets screwed by showing his Idol to her, she would feel the repercussions of his leaving until she was gone. Dawn didn’t like being spoken to that way, and wanted to make sure she didn’t go down the way she did the last time she was on the show.

Andrea and Eddie met in the jungle to compare notes. Eddie was trying to get out of her who Stealth R Us was voting for so he could bring it back to the guys. She wouldn’t tell him. Eddie then warns her that if Reynold plays the Idol, that it would be Eddie that was leaving. Eddie told her Malcolm’s plan to get rid if her and she her mind started racing to find a way to move the target off her back.

Andrea went to Cochran and told him what was happening. He wasn’t happy about Andrea wanting to break away from the Favs, but also wanted to keep her in the game. With Dawn joining them they decided that Michael would be their choice to vote out of the game, and to have Reynold think it was him in order to smoke out the Idol. Dawn was also shocked that Malcolm didn’t suspect that she was leaking information of his plans to the other side.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst started off their meeting by with the Castaways by talking about how a Fav, not a Fan, went home after the last Vote. Michael said that he was happy he was still in the game, and that he would love to be of use to any side…yeah, in order to save his butt and not be voted out!

They also spoke about what was happening at camp.Phillip informed everyone of his latest acquisition into Stealth R Us (Sherri). Eddie said he didn’t care because he didn’t want to be anyone’s puppet. Uh, Eddie, you may not have noticed, but you are a puppet for Reynold, Malcolm and Andrea. Too bad he doesn’t see this about his position in the game.

They also spoke about sticking together vs. breaking away from an alliance. Phillip believes a group should stick together for success. Andrea said you should try to flip if the numbers work and if the timing is right. Phillip then warned that if people flip, then they will be flushed out and be sent packing.

Before the Vote was announced, Reynold wanted to use his Idol on himself, but Malcolm convinced Reynold to use the Idol on him instead, just in case they were looking to get Malcolm out. Andrea’s plan worked!  With a 6-3-1 vote, Michael was the one to see his million-dollar dream crash and burn. He gave the finger to those remaining, and left the Tribal Council area. Three votes were cast for Andrea, and one vote, by Malcolm, was cast for Reynold. Oh, Malcolm! Double-dealing!

What sportsmanship, Michael! It’s sucks, but it happens all the time in Survivor. I’m surprised he’s surprised he’s gone since he did nothing to keep himself in the game, and he was Corinne’s ally. We’re one vote closer to knowing who will be the next winner of Survivor. I can’t wait to see what we’re in store for in the next episode. Come back and find out which Castaway is the next to get the ax.

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan Fans vs. Favourites 2, Episode #7 – The Best Made Plans…

Hello Readers!

It time for another installment of Survivor: Caramoan! As we become closer to the Merge, the Castaways are scrambling to create new alliances and see where they stood with each other.  How you decide to play this game will determine how far along you will go in it.  One Castaway learned that their game plan of sitting back and then trying to back stab another player will get themselves a one-way ticket out of Survivor: Caramoan.  Who was this lucky person? Read on and find out!

At Bikal, after Tribal Council, Corrine takes Michael aside for a pep talk. She advised him to get through the next few Tribal Councils because she doesn’t want him to leave the game yet. Phillip saw what was happening and went berserk! He pulled Cochran aside to tell him that Corrine has to go because Phillip doesn’t trust the bond being formed between Corrine and Michael. Cochran reminded Phillip that in order for the Fans to have the numbers, the Favourites (or Favs)s have to stick together.

Bikal received Tree Mail that told the Castaways that the strong will carry the weak.Phillip,being a secret agent and all, believed that, since he is also a power lifter, he felt that he would breeze through the upcoming Challenge. Phillip then challenged Cochran to an arm wrestling competition to prove his manly strength (Ha! Ha Ha!).  Cochran then threw their “competition” in order to fluff up Phillip’s ego.

At the Reward Challenge, the Castaways all had to wear belts that attached them together.  They were each given a twenty pound bag to carry with them throughout this Challenge.  Each tribe had to race around an oval course while carrying the with them.  If a member of a team became too tired, they could opt out of the race, giving another member of their team their weight to carry.  The tribe that catches and  tags the other tribe won.  The prize?  Well, that team would by choppered over to an island where a Survivor: Caramoan coffee shop with all of the baked delights they could desired were awaiting them.  With Phillip’s strength and leadership, Bikal literally walked throughout this Challenge, allowing for Gota to catch them and easily win this Reward.

While Gota used their Reward experience as a time to create bonds or feeling these new tribes mates, Bikal was busy licking their wounds. Phillip was mad (and probably embarrassed after all of his boasting) over losing the Challenge.  Once the commiserating was done, Corrine set out to damage Phillip’s character some more to get him out of their tribe. Cochran was keeping his eyes in the prize, and was working as a peace-maker.  What he didn’t want to happened was for the Favs to begin creating bonds with the Fans. Why would this be important? Well, if the Favs began liking the Fans, they would want to change their game plan and keep that particular Fan around, lessening the Favs’ chances of making it to the Merge intact. Unfortunately for Cochran, it was already happening with Corrine (with Michael) and Phillip (with Julia).

After Phillip was beginning to let Julia into his “inner sanctum,” she decided it was time to kick her Survivor: Caramoan game up a notch. She thought it was a good idea to gain the trust of other Favs members by telling divulging to them everything Phillip had told him. Big mistake! This was one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make in this game. You should only give information to another person if you can trust them enough to keep it to themselves. Well, Julia gave Dawn, of all people, all of the details Phillip shared with her, and guess what Dawn did? Yep, you guessed it, she ran straight to Phillip to inform him of his “double-agent.” Phillip became upset with Julia, and would try to get rid of her the first chance he gets.

Once Gota returned from their Reward, the guys of the tribe went for a dip in the ocean, and agreed upon forming an alliance between them (Malcolm, Reynold, Eddie and Erik). Malcolm also let Reynold know that he has the Immunity Idol to solidify their trust in him. Malcolm thought that this alliance was more beneficial for them because he doesn’t really need their protection due to his deals with the Favs, and because of his possession of the Idol. As well, Malcolm knew that Reynold and Eddie would be all over this alliance because of the bad position those two guys put themselves in at the old Gota tribe.

At the Immunity Challenge, three members of each tribe had to paddle out into the ocean in a canoe to retrieve a heavy statue. Once back on the shore, one other member was then responsible for using a grappling hook and rope to drag five keys laid out in the sand several meters (or feet) away. The last two members then had to take those keys and unlock the locks to release a flag to win. This time, it wasn’t only Phillip’s fault, but also the fault of those paddling the boat who lost the Challenge for Bikal. They were facing another Tribal Council…oh joy!

After the Immunity Challenge, Phillip, maybe trying to defend his poor performance, pulled Cochran aside and told him that he threw the Challenge so they could go to Tribal Council. Cochran almost laughed, but kept it together to hear Phillip out. Cochran confessed that he thought that Phillip was becoming delusional to believe that Phillip would do such a thing, and then to admit it to another person.

The Favs then huddled together to decide which of the Fans they were going to send home. Phillip wanted to get rid of both Fans as quickly as possible because he felt they were not needed to get them through the Merge. The rest of the Favs felt that, since they were not sure what was happening over at Gota that it may not be the best idea to count out the usefulness of the Fans just yet. This enraged Phillip, so much so that he began yelling and stomping around the camp, upsetting the rest of his tribe mates. He also began saying that Boston Rob would never do what they were doing. The Favs had to tell him that he was not Boston Rob, and that Phillip’s plan from the Boston Rob Playbook may not work in their situation. This angered Phillip even more. Phillip then confessed that he wanted Michael gone because of his new found closeness with Corrine.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst asked Bikal about which of the Fans they were going to vote out, Phillip taking on the “hero” role for tribe, and of the approach to the game that Michael and Julia were using so far to stay. I’m not sure if Phillip heard Jeff Probst properly when Jeff suggested that maybe Phillip should step back a bit from taking on this role because he had been unsuccessful at it since the shake-up of the tribes, but Phillip answered Jeff by saying that the tribe was going to forget the past and move on to the next Challenge. Michael said his game plan was to be social and create bonds. Julia said her approach was to lay low and observe what was happening before making a major move. This made some of the Favs give a face because they were not fans of Julia, and were all aware of what she had already done.

This week’s vote was an interesting one. The Favs decided to make it a split vite between Julia and Michael (Julia – 3, Michael – 3). With the second vote, where the Bikal could only vote for Michael and Julia, the tribe made it crystal clear who they wanted gone…good ol’ Julia.

Oh, boy, Readers, it was another fun-filled time on Survivor: Caramoan. Poor Julia, one of the people I thought would do well is now out of the game. Maybe she shouldn’t have lads so low, only to make such a big move. She was described by many people on Bikal as having a “vanilla personality.” Maybe she should have opened up some more to those in Bikal. Well, since another person has been shown the door in this game, it must mean that the Merge is close at hand. How will the Castaways deal with this possible new predicament? Will Phillip try to use another page out if Boston Rob’s playbook to further himself in the game? Will it backfire again? Find the answers to these questions when I check back in with more Survivor: Caramoan news.

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese

Survivor: Caramoan, Episode #4 – Might Trumps Loyalty!

Hey There, Readers!

Just finished watching the latest episode of Survivor: Caramoan, and it’s not looking too good for the Fans! So far, they have lost two Immunity Challenges in a row, not doing too well with gathering food, and are separated into two camps: Reynold and Eddie vs. the rest of the tribe. Tonight’s installment shows how far loyalty can go for this tribe before something’s got to change for Gota.

Reynold and Eddie were quaking in their shoes after Hope, one of their alliance members had just been blindsided and sent home at Tribal Council. Back at camp, Eddie tried to reason with the rest of his tribe mates, warning them of the trouble they all are in with their decision to keep Hope over Shamar.  This angered the rest of the group, sending this group into turmoil.

The next day at Bikal, Phillip was providing amusement to the tribe by assigning “specialist” code names to those in “his” alliance. Brandon was especially happy when Phillip blessed him with the code name “The Conqueror.” Brandon didn’t really care for being in the alliance, but he wanted to have Phillip’s trust, and having this new “secret” identity gave him this access.

At the Reward Challenge, the tribes had to get their two of their members from the shoreline to a small platform further out in the water using planks that were tied up. Then the rest of the tribe had to then scramble up on the same platform and not fall off for a count of five in order to win.  What were they playing for? This week’s reward was having a bushman from the area visit the winning tribe, help them improve various aspects of their camp life, create a feast for them, and also drop off some gifts, like food and chickens. Once again, the Favourites came out on top, just edging the Fans out of a win.

Once the bushman arrived at Bikal’s camp, this little guy spared no time in getting down to the business at hand.  He swiftly shared his knowledge on how to do things around their camp better.  Even though it was hard to understand what he was saying, the Favourites were able to catch on by observing his movements. They loved every minute of their informative visitor, and the ladies of the tribe even shared a dance with him. He was not shy about showing his appreciation for the dances!

Back at Gota, the tribe was, once again, reminiscing about where they went wrong during the Challenge.  Reynold was also continuing his get rid of Shamar campaign around camp.  Shamar was indirectly acting as Reynold’s campaign manager by making demands of the tribe in order to stay and lounging about around camp. Shamar’s biggest supporters, Sherri and Laura both said that it wasn’t cool of Shamar to be acting like a big baby, but they were sympathizing with him because it meant siding with Reynold and Edddie, something neither of them wanted to do.

Gota was running into other problems besides the rift between them and their lack of success. It’s hurricane season around Caramoan! Oh, I didn’t mention they also had a rat infestation as well.  So camp life went from just bearable to hanging on by the skin of their teeth fun!

The hits just kept on coming for Gota when Shamar injured his eye.  He scratched it, then started complaining about the amount of pain he was in. Reynold put his situation to his advantage by telling anyone who would listen that a marine shouldn’t be whining about something so trivial as a scratch to his eye, so Shamar should just be he next to go.  Some of the other tribe members were beginning to listen.

Well, whoever said that wishes don’t come true should be kicking themselves right now. Why? Well, because Reynold’s wish was granted when Jeff Probst had to make a trip out to the Gota tribe in order to assess Shamar’s injury.  After taking a look at his eye, the medic found that he had actually scratched his eye in two places, both close to the pupil, and it could affect his vision if he doesn’t get it looked after immediately.  Shamar decided that the loss of his vision was not worth $1 million, so he said his goodbyes, and left the game.  Most of the tribe was crushed by having their main source of muscle just leave the game, but Reynold was happy that Shamar was out of his hair…that was until he realized Shamar’s departure put an even bigger target on his and Eddie’s back to be the next to leave if they don’t win this up-coming Immunity Challenge.

At the Immunity Challenge, five members of each tribe had to swim out to a platform, then jump off of it an hit a tile to release a key. Once all five keys were freed and brought back to the beach, two other members had to them to unlock three locks of a chest containing a whole lot of balls.  They then had to knock off a stack of bricks off of a platform on the beach to win Immunity. Phillip pitched his heart out to hand the Favourites another win, sending the Fans back to Tribal Council.

When Gota arrived back at camp, Eddie and Reynold realized they had to devise a plan to keep themselves safe from the vote. Matt became their newest hero and cheerleader by advising the rest of the tribe that they should be looking to keeping their tribe strong, and maybe turning a blind eye to their alliance for now.  Reynold and Eddie were on board for this new plan, and they knew who to set their sights on to accomplish this new plan: Laura, the weakest member of their tribe. This plan worried not only Laura, but Sherri as well, because, to them, it seemed as though being a woman equaled being weak, since the last two members of their tribe who have left have also been women.

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst had Gota talk about what their tribe was like after Shamar left.  Matt commented on their loss of muscle, but also the lack of tension around camp. Sherri said she missed Shamar as part of their alliance, but you could tell she was holding back more comments she had.  Reynold argued that since Shamar was gone, that he and Eddie were needed more than ever for the brute strength to win challenges. Laura saw where Reynold was going, and countered that the tribe had to weigh whether loyalty was more important to them than having a physically strong tribe at this point in the game.  She was leaning towards loyalty because of her position if the tribe went Reynold’s way. Eddie wasn’t doing himself any favours by saying, after being asked by Jeff Probst who he thought was weak, that Laura and Sherri were weak players. Laura them chimed in by reminding the tribe that a merge was coming, and she questioned how loyal Reynold and Eddie would be to the rest of the tribe when that happened.

After the votes were cast, Reynold played his Immunity Idol to save his life in the game.  It was a pretty futile move, as Laura was voted out of the tribe by a vote of 4-1. She was shocked by this decision, but was gracious as her torch was snuffed out.

Was this the smartest move for Gota to have made in the game? Yeah, I think so. Sure, Reynold and Eddie aren’t loyal to the rest of their tribe, but they have their eye on the bigger picture, winning the game.  Laura even knew she was a liability to the tribe. I’m not sure if many more Gota members will make it to the merge to even warrant keeping their Gota loyalty strong. Well, this tribe has a long way ti go if they are going to have any more success in Survivor.  Something really wonky has to happen for Bikal in order to help Gota out at this point of the game. Thanks for joining me for all of the action-packed.fun this episode had to offer, and come back for my next Survivor: Caramoan post to see what happens next to the Castaways this season.

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.

Survivor: Caramoan (Fans vs. Favorites 2), Episode #1 – When Emotions Take Over

Hey Readers!

The next installment of Survivor is underway!  Twenty Castaways are in sunny Caramoan to duke it out to decide who will be the next million dollar winner of the game.  It is Survivor’s second time around with a Fans vs. Favourites theme.  I wasn’t so impressed with the group they assembled, but the few I liked make up for my disappointment in spades.  If you read my previous post, I spoke of my favs of the Favourites.  They were Malcolm, Cochran, and Phillip.  Yeah, if you have watched the last few seasons of this show, you’ll know what I mean.  After watching this episode, I’m still surprised that the Favourites are such emotional players, especially since they’ve been through this game before, allowing for paranoia to set in early in the game.  How did this happen? Read on, and you’ll see.

As most seasons of this game begin, Jeff Probst welcomed the Fans (or, as I will call them, Newbies) to Survivor, as well as to Caramoan.  Jeff also introduced them to the other group of people they would be competing against: the Favourites fans like themselves had voted for.  The Newbies were both elated, as well as in a competative mood, as each of the Favourites left the helicopter.  Jeff then gave each tribe their buffs.  The Newbies are called Gota, and the Favourites are called Bikal.

Once both sides sized each other up, Jeff Probst announced the first Reward Challenge for some flint and twenty pounds of beans, something a tribe could use to initially raise morale back at camp.  For this Challenge, two members from each tribe had to battle each other get a lifesaver ring from a post set offshore, then bring it back to their tribe’s post that was closer to the shore.  The catch: thee was only one ring, and the other tribe could do just about anything to take the ring from you and score for themselves.  The tribe that won five rounds first won the Challenge.  Well, Readers, it was a blow out.  The Favourites came to play, winning five out of the six rounds played.  This Challenge may have also sparked the beginnings of a feud between Fan Reynold and Favourite Malcolm.

Once they reached their beach, the Gota tribe marveled at the beauty of their beach and the long journey they had as they started their virgin adventure in the game.  They also began to set up their camp.  As usual, the men-folk felt they were the only ones capable to build their shelter.  This allowed for the women of their tribe to begin to make strategies and formed alliances.

Back at Gota, Shamar, biting back his military urges, was commenting on how he didn’t want to set himself as a leader for this tribe, but he wanted to be chosen by the tribe to fulfill this role.  He saw that the the rest of the tribe needed help starting fire without the aid of flint, so he waited until the right moment and created a spark to make fire.  The tribe cheered and congratulated him on his fire making skills.  Maybe Shamar’s plan will work?

Other sparks were flying between Reynold and Allie.  While wading in the blue ocean, they decided to become an alliance with Eddie and another female player.   They solidified their pact by using each other for body heat during the cold nights in Caramoan.  Other Castaways noticed how close Reynold and Allie were becoming and have begun to label them as a romance alliance.  Maybe these two should cool things down a bit, or else they will put an even bigger target in their backs, especially since it’s the beginning of the game.  Other Castaways will this as a reason to vote you off.

At Bikal, the Favourites also began setting up their camp.  Both sexes took part in this event.  The only thing that was holding them back a bit was good old.Phillip trying to be the “leader,” giving advice to anyone around him.

While this was happening, Francesca, Dawn and Andrea agreed to form an alliance straightaway.  Francesca also tried to bury the hatchet with Phillip after their last encounter on Survivor: Redemption Island,  but Phillip, hard-headed as he is, turned his back on her olive branch.

While eating, Phillip decided he would take the lessons he learned from his Survivor “Yoda,” Boston Rob, and try to make everyone feel like family, as.well as try to form alliances within alliances.  Some of the other Castaways caught on to his futile attempts, and caulked it up to Phillip being Phillip.

Cochran was feeling the heat early in the game , especially on his feet!  Yes, Readers, Cochran had a sunburn on his feet already.  He then turned as red as his feet as the rest of his tribe learned of his condition.

At the Immunity Challenge, two players from each team had to race up certain levels of a structure to find two crates (twelve in all), and throw them over the side to crash on the ground to release the two sandbags within them.  Then two other members of their tribe had to retrieve these sandbags to then toss into six targets.  The winning tribe would win Immunity, and if the Fans won, hey would also receive flint.  Once again, it was a blow-out, but it was in the Newbies’ favour! Malcolm was bested by his new rival, Reynold, bringing the Immunity Idol to the Gota tribe.

Once Bikal got back to their camp, it was game-on for scrambling.  Everyone was hustling, running around, sharing tidbits of information to.each other as they were trying to decide who should go home.  Andrea has become quite the strategist, rallying many of her tribe mates together in getting rid of Francesca because she didn’t trust her.  What happened to your alliance with Francesca?  Alarm bells went off when this information got back to Francesca, and she was on the move, trying to get support to get rid of Andrea.  Cochran and Dawn decided to pair back up again, and they were si confused as who they should vote out, that they were going to put their support where the numbers were to avoid being targeted themselves.  Again, your alliance to Francesca, Dawn?  What happened to it?

At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst had the Favourites light their torches, representing their life in the game, and letting them know that, soon, one of their torches would be snuffed out.

The topics brought up at Tribal Council were who was running their tribe, the continuing feud between Phillip and Francesca, and llaying on a tribe of returning players.  They told Jeff that no one was really running their tribe.  Where Phillip and Francesca were concerned, Phillip continued to be a jerk toward Francesca.  As for playing with returning players, Andrea tried to downplay her skills while giving her opinion, and Cochran said that the tempo of the game is faster for them because they are all expecting to be blindsided, so paranoia has already begun to spread within their camp.

Jeff Probst revealed the vote.  It was a close one, Readers! It was a 6-4 vite to have Francesca be the first Castaway to leave the game this season.  Francesca also made Survivor history by being the first Castaway to be the first player to leave the game on two different seasons.  That really sucks.  I think this was the right move for the Favourites gang  because Francesca didn’t really bring any strength to the Bikal tribe.  I’m no fan of Andrea as a player, but the Favourites will need Andrea down the line to go a bit further in the game.

Well, Readers, we are on our way in this new season of Survivor.  See what happens when just a bit of negative information gets spread about you in this game? I wonder how this will play itself out? Hopefully, the Favourites will get out their funk and work together to take the Newbies out.  We’ll find out when the next episode airs.

Until my next post, Readers!

Reese.